Listenin’
to the
blues
Albert Collins was
anything but cold Thursday
night, as he and The
Icebreakers heated up the
EMU Ballroom as part of
the sixth annual Oregon
Blues Festival.
The Paul DeLay Band,
from Portland, opened the
festival by packing the
dance floor — which
remained jammed for the
rest of the night.
The Mighty Flyers kept
things hopping, and like
the Paul DeLay Band, they
have a hot front man —
harmonica player Rod
Piazza
The Flyers have a high
energy stage presence
which was enhanced by
their snow-white suits and
bright red shirts They look
like a cross between a
rockabilly and a new wave
band, with a stand-up bass
and super thin new wave
ties
But they can play They
did blues standards such
as "She's Tough, Five
Long Years" and an
excellent version of
“Rockin' Robin” with a
good guitar solo by Junior
“Guitar” Watson
Piazza jumped to the
dance floor during the
closing number and wound
his way through the crowd
playing his harp through a
wireless mic
The Icebreakers, with
A C.Reed — the brother of
Jimmmy Reed, an
internationally-known
blues musician — on tenor
sax, Casey Jones on
drums, Johnny Gayden on
bass, Dino Spells on alto
sax and flute and Marvin
Jackson on guitar, came
on at 11 p.m and fired
things up with "Dust My
Broom," "Sweet Home
Chicago,” "Mojo,” among
others, before Collins
joined them on stage
He makes playing his
Fender Telecaster look
effortless, and even when
he broke a string he
continued to play as if it
were no problem
Brown will be headlining
the festival tonight, which
also includes Pee Wee
Crayton, another Texan
guitarist, Little Charlie and
The Nightcats, from the
Bay Area and a Les Blank
film "The Blues Accordin'
To Lightin' Hopkins,”
about the late bluesman
Sam "Lightin' " Hopkins,
Photos and story
by Mark Pynes
Albert Collins, at top, performed Thursday night was preceded by Rod Piazza and Junior "Gui
at the sixth annual Oregon Blues Festival He tar" Watson from the Mighty Flyers